When Hope is Gone
by StarLight9
Summary: AU. After Frodo is captured, Sauron is willing to trade him for the life of the only Man he is afraid of. Will a friendship prove to be strong enough to save Middle earth?
1. Chapter 1

When Hope is Gone

Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Tolkien, I'm just playing around. No profit was made or will be made by this story (not that anyone would give money for that, but anyway ;)) I own nothing.

Time Frame: RotK; The book and the movie are used as a basis, but some events are altered, I hope I haven't gone too far.

Warnings: Major events in the book are changed. Rated T for violence and character torture.

Part 1

All hearts were heavy as they approached the Black Gate. Aragorn looked back at the warriors of Gondor and Rohan, who had come to this last battle, who have sworn to follow him to the end. He could see fear in their eyes, and he could very well understand it.

"I know why they are afraid," Legolas said softly. "We hope that the Dark Lord will open the Gate and sent his troops. But we know that if he does, there is a little chance that any of us will return alive."

"Well, if we are going to die, let's get to it! I'm tired of waiting." The elf heard a voice coming from the back of his horse and smiled. Patience has never been one of the strong qualities of a dwarf.

Gandalf approached the Black Gate and his friends followed him.

"Let the Dark Lord come out!" the Istar demanded.

All hearts stopped for a moment. The Black Gate slowly opened. Pippin secretly hoped that it won't. He wanted to help Frodo and Sam, but was so afraid. And he was feeling alone even though he was surrounded by friends. The hobbit regretted that Merry couldn't come. His best friend would be able to lift his spirits.

The Mouth of Sauron and his guards approached and looked at Gandalf.

"Have you come to negotiate, old graybeard?" he laughed. "Is there anything you could offer us?"

Legolas felt Gimli moving impatiently behind his back. The dwarf didn't realize why they should bother talking to these foul creatures instead of killing them right away.

"I don't think there is anything _you_ could offer us." Gandalf's voice sounded confident.

"Is this so?" The Messenger sounded amused. "Well, maybe that will change your mind."

One of the guards came to the front and showed what he was carrying.

The skies above Mordor seemed to turn a shade darker if this was possible at all as they were watching the items unwrapped from the bundle - Sam's sword, a grey cloak with an elven-brooch, and Frodo's coat of mithril-mail.

"Where is he?" Gandalf forced his voice to sound strong although it was breaking with sorrow. "Is he alive?"

"Oh, I see the Halfling was dear to you. Don't worry; he's not dead … yet. But he'll soon be if you don't grant my Lord what he demands."

Gandalf turned back to his companions. They gathered in a small circle, their heads close together, to discuss the options.

"We can't negotiate with this creature! Let's kill them all, get into Mordor and rescue Frodo!" Gimli offered his advice although he didn't sound as confident as he wanted to.

"Stay calm, Master Dwarf," Elrohir put his arm on the small being's shoulder.

"If Frodo is captured, all our hopes are lost. We cannot fight anymore. We must accept whatever terms." Gandalf's voice was soft and the anguish in it was apparent.

Pippin's heart leapt with new hope.

"Whatever terms?" Aragorn disagreed. "Can you not imagine what he is going to ask? He will want us to surrender our land, betray our people into slavery!"

"They are going to fall into slavery if Sauron finds the ring," Gandalf's voice was firmer this time. "But if Frodo is saved the ring can still be destroyed."

"How do you know that Frodo still has the ring?" asked Elladan.

"If Sauron has taken the ring we would have known. We would have already witnessed its power. I don't think he has it and is just playing games with us," Gandalf said quietly, trying to persuade himself more than anyone else. Then he faced the Mouth of Sauron. "Name the terms." This time everyone heard the anguish in his voice and felt sure he was going to accept anything.

"These are the terms," the black creature smiled. "You will get back the little one. In return, you are going to surrender to us Isildur's heir. Otherwise, the Halfling spy will die. Very slowly. What say you, old greybeard?"

For a moment Gandalf felt unable to speak, unable to think. Never in his long life has he felt more helpless. He turned around seeking support from his companions. But their shock was not less than his.

"It is not a decision you can make, Mithrandir," Legolas turned his pale face towards the wizard. "You don't have the right to make such a choice."

"Maybe he doesn't. But I do." Aragorn paused for a moment, looking at his elven brothers and then back to Legolas. The elf winced as he already knew what his friend was going to say. "We decided we are going to accept whatever terms. Nothing has changed."

The Mouth of Sauron looked delighted. Maybe his Master would be pleased with him and would make him guardian of Isengard instead of that fool Saruman.

Pippin didn't know what to think. He wanted Frodo to be saved, but not in this way. He has grown attached to the Ranger.

Elladan shook his head, "Estel, there is absolutely no way I would let you do this." Elrohir just nodded in support. For once he didn't fight his twin brother's opinion. That stubborn human had to be taught some good sense after all. For their dismay, their adopted brother didn't seem influenced by their concern.

"It is not time to think about what we like or what we don't. It is time to decide what is best for Middle-earth."

"Exactly!" Gandalf almost shouted. "And I'm afraid your sacrifice might do more harm than good. It's not a decision that should be made hastily. We must discuss it." The Istar's heart was tearing apart for he loved dearly both the hobbit and the man, but he knew he must forget his feelings and think clearly. "Can't you see why Sauron wants you? He fears you, Aragorn! He knows that you are a threat to him. And you are!"

"Frodo is a greater threat, he just doesn't know it."

"They will kill you, Estel." Elrohir whispered brokenly.

"I know. I am not afraid of death." Aragorn lied. There was still too much to live for. But what else could he do?

Legolas slowly placed his hands on the man's shoulders and looked into his deep grey eyes. "Do you really think you are helping anybody? Don't you know why Lord Elrond gave you that name, _Estel_?" the elf paused to swallow his tears. He was doing his best to keep them, but it was not enough. Soon a small droplet slipped from the corner of his eye. "You are our hope, mellon-nîn. You are the hope of all free people of Middle-earth. If we surrender you, we surrender hope." _And I surrender my best friend_, he was going to add, but stopped. After all, his friend was right. They had to push all feelings aside. They were deciding the fate of Middle-earth, and this was not a decision to be made by the heart. They had to decide with a clear mind. But how could he?

"I've made my choice, mellon-nîn. Please, don't make it harder," Aragorn whispered, unable to bear the pain in the blue eyes fixed on his. "It is something I must do. It is the best for everybody."

"Don't do this to Elladan and me, Estel," Elrohir pleaded. "You know that our sister would kill us both if anything happens to you." The elf tried to joke to lighten the mood, but the smile froze on his lips. The man's eyes darkened as the though of Arwen came to him. Elrohir noticed this change and decided that no matter how cruel this might be, he had to use it as the last chance to change his human brother's mind.

"If you don't think about yourself, Estel, and if you don't think about us, and you obviously don't, then think about her! How is she going to bear your death?"

"Don't you see I think about her right now? Arwen is dying, Elrohir. If the ring is not destroyed, she will surely die."

_She will surely die of grief if you don't come back, stupid human_. Elrohir didn't say his thoughts aloud. His younger brother has made his choice. There was no need to add to his grief. He turned to Gandalf, desperately hoping the wizard to do something. But the Maia didn't have the strength to offer solace to anyone else, now that he himself felt so weak. "So be it," his works were barely audible. "I hope you are making the right decision, Aragorn."

Elladan glared at the wizard. Gimli could no longer suppress a sob. Tears were already running freely on Legolas' cheeks. Pippin jumped from Gandalf's horse and hugged the ranger. "Thank you, Strider!" he said, crying. "Thank you for what you are doing for Frodo! And I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"Are you going to finish with this anytime soon?" The Mouth of Sauron sounded impatient although he was visibly enjoying the heartbrokenness of the company.

"Leave him alone, dirty beast!" The Prince of Mirkwood glared at him. "Let him at least say goodbye to his friends." The elf startled as he felt a gentle touch on his elbow.

"He is right, Legolas. I must go. The sooner I leave, the sooner Frodo will come back and all this will end."

The elf was shaking his head violently, refusing to believe that he is seeing his friend for the last time. Scenes were flashing through his mind, pictures from the first time they met through now, all their adventures. They had had so much bad moments, but there was always hope. Now there was none.

"I swore I…I would walk with you to… to the end." He finally managed to say between sobs.

"You did, Legolas. You did." The man took the elf's head in his hand to steady it and leaned forward until his forehead barely touched his friend's.

"Namárië, mellon-nîn."

At this point the Mouth of Sauron had no way of knowing that with Sam's help the Ring-bearer has already escaped. He was leading the guards and his new prisoner, his hands tightly bound, to the dungeons. He stopped at the entrance and turned to one of the orcs.

"Go to the tower and fetch the Halfling spy! Bring him back to the wizard and the other scum." Then he faced the group of orcs and Haradrim men that accompanied him. "Take the prisoner to the dungeons. Master ordered to kill him. Do it any way you like."

At the last words a smile appeared on the face of the orcs. A smile that would make every heart turn…

"What do you mean he has escaped!" Gandalf was incredulous and was shouting at the orc who brought him the news. "Your leader gave us the word that you are going to bring him back to us!" How could he be so stupid! How had he agreed to make the exchange without seeing Frodo first? How had he believed that creature of darkness?

"We didn't know this while we were negotiating," the orc stated calmly, but obviously enjoying the turn of events.

"Well now you do!" the wizard could no longer suppress his anger. His friends had never seen him like this. The Maia was always so composed. "You didn't give us what you have promised. Isildur's heir must be returned to us!" Gandalf knew how weak his arguments sounded. He was in no position to argue.

"What do you mean you didn't get what you wanted?" the orc was obviously having fun. "The little rat is free now. Isn't that what you demanded?"

Pippin trembled involuntarily. He has waited so much to see Frodo again and now his dream melted in front of his eyes. The though that his friend was free somewhere in Mordor didn't seem to comfort him. Actually, the fact that Frodo was still in Mordor increased their chances. It made it easier for the hobbit to reach Mount Doom and destroy the Ring. But nobody seemed to view it that was. They all felt cheated.

Elrohir was unable to control himself anymore. He rode to the orc and cut off his head. Nobody accused the elf of this seemingly foolish reaction. Gandalf collapsed on his knees. "It's all my fault," the wizard muttered.

"Yes, it is," Elladan shouted at the kneeled form. Elrohir sighted quietly and looked sadly at his twin brother. He knew that Elladan was angry mostly with himself. He has sworn to protect Estel when the human child was brought to Rivendell more than eighty years ago.

All hope seemed to fate. Yes, Frodo was free, but there were still ten thousand orcs between him and Orodruin, and the Eye was looking for him. Sauron wouldn't bother attacking them now, they were not important. The one he was afraid of was gone. Forever.

The army camped in front of the Black Gate. They couldn't just leave. When night came several guards were placed and the rest were either asleep or engulfed in their grief. The camp was completely silent.

Everything was still, except for a slender blond form moving close to the gates. They were tall and impossible to climb unnoticed, even for the agile being. But Legolas couldn't give up. There must be a way. This was one thing he had learned during his long friendship with Aragorn – there was always hope. And the elf had not forgotten the lesson.

There had to be another path going into Mordor. There simply had to be. Or else … He just didn't want to think about the other option. Not yet. The prince's gaze shifted on one of the guards. The man was from Gondor, he probably had a better knowledge of the area. He needed to get information without arousing suspicion. He didn't want anyone to know his intentions. Mithrandir would probably try to discourage him, persuade him that this is impossible. Gimli would surely want to come with him. But he had to go alone. He had to be unnoticed, and the dwarf wasn't really good at that.

The elf slowly approached the guard. He stopped by the man for some time and after a short pause said softly, "It seems our trip here has been in vain. The Dark Lord is not going to come out." The man just sighed heavily and turned his gaze to the ground. Receiving no response, the prince continued, "I wonder if there is another way to drive him out. If there is another way to get into Mordor besides the Black Gate."

"No, my lord," the guard finally said. "The only path that leads to Mordor besides the Black Gate is the path of Cirith Ungol, but it is an evil road."

"There is another path?" The elf seemed interested. "Maybe Mithrandir should know about that. We could lounge an attack from there."

"This path is not meant for an army. It is long and narrow. And there is something evil that guards it. No one knows what it is, but nobody can pass that path unharmed." The soldier's voice was full of awe.

But this was all the elf needed. He didn't need an army…

Legolas didn't wish to linger any more. He didn't wish to imagine what was happening to his friend at the moment. If Strider was still alive… The elf quickly pushed the thought aside. Of course he was alive. The orcs wouldn't kill him right away; they would surely want to have some fun first. Surprisingly enough, this thought was more painful than comforting. The prince smiled briefly as he imagined how angry the dwarf would be to wake up in the morning and find out that he has been left behind. For a moment he considered calling Elladan and Elrohir, but then he decided that he would have better chances of being unnoticed if he went alone.

The elf moved quietly but swiftly toward Cirith Ungol. When he was leaving the army, his eyes were fixed for a moment on one of the Rohirrim. What attracted Legolas' attention was the look in the man's eyes. There was so much to read in them. The man knew that they were doomed. He was going to die soon, but also everything he had known and loved would be engulfed by darkness. His family would perish. There was one single emotion in these eyes.

Total despair.

"Don't worry," Legolas whispered quietly. "I will bring back Hope."

TBC

_Please review, this is my first fanfiction, and English is not my native language, so it's important to me to know if what I'm doing is any worth. Thanks!!_

_The next chapters are coming soon…_


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

Aragorn concentrated all of his strength in suppressing a cry. No, these foul beasts would never see his pain. Yesterday the Mouth of Sauron ordered them to kill him. Or was it the day before? Or three days ago? He didn't know how much time had passed since the orcs started torturing him. There was no way to know day from night in the dungeons. And days and nights blended into a long swirl of darkness. Darkness and pain. He was desperately trying to find light in his heart, light that came to him in the form of a face, the most beautiful face that has ever existed. Long black hair and eyes, in which he could see all the stars in the skies. He was never going to see her again. And that made the darkness even more oppressive.

He still remembered when the Mouth of Sauron visited him on the first day. The dark creature was very pleased with himself. His words still echoed in Aragorn's mind.

"Enjoying yourself, dirty rat? It seems my Master was truly afraid of you although I can't get why. He thought that you are the only one who could oppose him. Now my Lord has no dangerous enemies, and all this is thanks to my skillful negotiations," the dark man smiled. Of course, he was going to be rewarded. "I don't know why you thought that the little spy is more valuable than you, but you made a mistake." Laughing, he left the room and left Aragorn to the orcs. He knew that they were going to kill him slowly, and didn't really care. Let them have their fun.

_You made a mistake_. Did he? He asked himself this question every time an orc's whip hit his back. Why did he choose to surrender? His first though was that he did it for Frodo. The hobbit had already suffered enough; moreover, he was used to a peaceful life and pain was new to him and harder to bear. The small being had already done more than anyone expected he would be capable of. Also, he chose to surrender because he believed that he was giving Frodo a chance to destroy the Ring and save Middle-earth. But there was another reason. He did it for her. Arwen wouldn't survive this evil much longer. It had to be destroyed. Then she could sail safely to Valinor.

But would she? Doubts started haunting his mind. Raised by elves, Estel knew very well that there are only two ways a Firstborn could die – if they are killed, or if they choose to give up to grief. He tried to persuade himself that Arwen wouldn't die if he didn't return, but somehow he couldn't believe this completely. He couldn't take any chances. He had to escape.

Aragorn was standing on his knees on the floor, his hands bound to an iron handle above his head. His body trembled slightly under the whips, fists, and boots of the orcs, but he tried to hide his weakness. He was fighting to remain conscious. One of the orcs took his hair and jerked his head backwards. "You refuse to scream, stinky scum, but that won't last long. I promise you." Smiling, he took a long thin blade that resembled a big needle and forced it into the man's shoulder. Aragorn gasped in pain and surprise, but he knew that could not be all the orc meant. He prepared himself for whatever pain that might follow.

The orc took a lit torch and neared the fire to the other end of the needle. The blade soon became extremely hot. Aragorn felt the flesh around his shoulder was burning. The pain was unbearable. This had to end now and he had to escape. And now he knew how. A plan quickly formed in his mind. The orc's cruelty had given him an escape path.

With a sigh he collapsed on the floor, still partially hanging on his bounded hands. "Fun is over, boys," one of the orcs announced. "Leave him now; we don't want to kill him just yet. Tomorrow he will scream." All orcs went out of the room, taking all torches and leaving the chamber in complete darkness. There were plenty of prisoners in the dungeons they could torture, and they headed to them. However, they regretted leaving this one; he was much more fun. So hard to break. A challenge to their skills. They were pretty sure that wouldn't last long…

Legolas was quickly climbing up the stairs Frodo and Sam had climbed before. This path had to be much easier for him – he was not burdened by the Ring, he had enough food and water, he was not that exhausted and was physically stronger than the two hobbits. However, there was something else oppressing him. His elfish heart was more sensitive to the evil coming from Mordor. With every step he took, it was pressing on him more and more. But he couldn't stop. The Elf tried to push away the despair that was threatening to get hold of his heart. He had no idea where exactly this path was going to lead him and didn't how he was going to find Aragorn once he got into Mordor. But even if he could find him, would he be able to help him escape? Everything seemed so easy when he first heard that there was another passage into Mordor, but now reality came back to him, and he realized that the success of his mission was not sure at all. There is always hope, he repeated to himself. But was this hope or just self-deception? For a moment he wondered why he hadn't told Mithrandir what he intends. He knew very well that the wizard would not like the idea, would think that it is hopeless. Wasn't the Maia wiser than him?

Legolas realized that these thoughts were not helping him and pushed them aside. This was the only way to save Aragorn and he had to try. He had to. He wondered what has happened to his friend after he was taken to Mordor. Surely, the Dark Lord desired his death. Every second lost decreased the chances of arriving on time. And even if he arrived on time, he knew that every second meant more pain for the human. The thought of Estel tortured by orcs made Legolas rush up the stairs. The stairways were going for miles and miles, bending and climbing. He finally stopped when he reached a cave-like tunnel. Caves were never meant for elves. They were full of darkness, and were hiding the stars, the trees, the birds, to which the fair folk were so strongly connected. But this was not just a cave. Legolas could sense some ancient evil lying there. For the creature that lived in this cave was indeed a descendant of Ungoliant, who had once helped Melkor in his evil doings ages ago. But he couldn't stop now. Taking a deep breath, Legolas ventured into Shelob's lair.

Elladan was gazing at the Black Gate when he heard Gimli's footsteps behind him.

"Have you seen the Elf?"

"_The_ Elf, Master Dwarf?" Elladan's voice was dry. "In case you haven't noticed, there are three of us." But Elladan knew very well who Gimli was talking about. This was the second day he hadn't seen Legolas, and had an idea where the prince might be.

"There _were_ three of you. Legolas has disappeared." The dwarf was obviously irritated. He suspected the dark-haired elf knew where his friend might be.

"So the dwarf also hasn't seen him," Elladan murmured to himself. His suspicions were confirmed.

"Do you know where he is?" Gimli asked impatiently.

"I don't know, but I suppose he's doing what I should have done," the elf stated mysteriously.

Gimli frowned. He should have learned long ago that to ask an elf something and expect to get a clear answer was fruitless. And these strange creatures dared claiming that Gandalf spoke in riddles… Suddenly Gimli followed Elladan's gaze and understanding came to him.

"You mean … he is _in there_?"

"I don't know more than you do, Master Dwarf. But I don't see where else he could be."

"But why didn't he take me with him? How did he get in? I need to go!"

Elladan caught Gimli's arm and sighed heavily. The last thing he wanted to deal with right now was this impossibly annoying dwarf. He had to take the small being to Gandalf.

The wizard stared helplessly at the Black Gate. The Dark Lord was not going to send his forces, and the orcs were still between Frodo and Orodruin. There was nothing he could do, and he knew it.

"Gandalf, we must leave," Éomer suggested. "There is nothing we could do here. Sauron is not coming out; he is not afraid of us anymore. We have a lot of soldiers with us. They could be more useful at other places. They could protect our people from the orc raids in the towns and villages."

Gandalf seemed to consider the idea.

"Protect the people?" Elrohir countered. "For how long? Sooner or later all lands will fall into darkness."

"I can't stay here while my people are constantly tormented." Éomer said. "I have to do everything I can to help them."

"You're right," the elf sighted. "Go if you must. But I'm staying. I can't go home while Estel is dying in there."

Gandalf wanted to remind him that it was not the time to think with the heart, but when he saw the sorrow in the fair being's eyes, he simply said, "Elrohir, he doesn't know that you are here. He can't feel your presence."

"Maybe he can't. But that's the least I can do."

For a moment Gandalf was deep in though. "We are not leaving," he finally announced. "What you say sounds wise, Éomer, but something tells me that we must stay."

Suddenly, a dwarf rushed into the tent and nearly knocked the wizard down. Gandalf raised an eyebrow in question. Elladan entered after Gimli and explained, "Legolas has disappeared and we believe that he has gone into Mordor."

Gandalf nodded slightly, his own suspicions confirmed. "If this true, he has undertaken an impossible task. Now we can only hope although I don't see any chance of success."

"What do you mean we can only hope?" the dwarf was incredulous. "Legolas did the right thing; we all should have done the same! It's not too late!"

The wizard sighed. He knew it was not an easy task to argue with a dwarf. Years ago he had to deal with thirteen of them at the same time, in addition to a quite clever hobbit, which didn't make matters any better. "There is no point in us all going into Mordor, Gimli, unless we want to get killed. There is nothing we can do."

Gimli had no reason to doubt the Maia, so far Gandalf had never misled them, but he could not find peace. Fear for his friends and irritation that he is missing the adventure did not let him rest.

"But… what do you propose then? Just stay here and wait?!"

"Exactly. And my heart tells me this is the right thing to do."

Aragorn rose cautiously. He had managed to fool the orcs that he was unconscious, and now was time to act. First, he had to cut his bonds. Fortunately, his tormentors had left the burning blade in his shoulder. He had to get hold of it somehow. He turned his head to the side and managed to hold it with his teeth. The metal was still hot and burned his lips, but he didn't stop. As he pulled, a burning sting went over his entire body. It took a long time to pull the blade out, he had to stop and grab the blade again many times. Finally, it came out and slowly he managed to cut his bonds. It was hard to hold the hot blade in his teeth and work in complete darkness, and in the process he inflicted his wrists many wounds, but there was no time to pay attention to that. Aragorn slowly found the door in the darkness. Naturally, it was locked. He could open it with a needle, a useful skill he had learned during his long years as a ranger, after all this was not the first time he was taken captive, but he was afraid that the blade would be too big. Finally, after his hands were properly burned, the door opened.

Aragorn entered a corridor, slightly lit by the torches on the walls. Any light was welcome after the darkness in the torture room. He limped down the passage as fast as he could. He could probably find some hiding place, where he could recover his strength to some extend and decide what to do next. But for now he didn't have a plan. He just had to get as far away as possible.

The darkness was total and impenetrable. It ensnarled the body and crept into the mind. Legolas haven't seen such darkness since the mines of Moria, but here it felt somewhat denser. There at least the air was moving, and here it was stagnant, heavy and foul. But most disturbing of all was the feeling of evil that screamed to his elven senses. Moving cautiously, Legolas felt long tentacles brushing against his head and hands. The elf froze. He guessed immediately what they were. Mirkwood had fallen into darkness years ago and the prince often had to deal with the huge spiders that inhabited the woods. They were no ordinary spiders. They could think and plan. But, most of all, they were not just natural wild animals who were only trying to survive. They were something else. Pure evil.

The cobwebs were much thicker than the ones in Mirkwood, and the elf wondered what kind of creature had created them. But he realized he didn't have time to think about that, as he felt two great clusters of faceted eyes fixed on him. Fear crept through his heart as Legolas realized that he couldn't fight this creature alone, especially in the darkness. The elf ran to the tunnel's opening as fast as he could.

When Legolas reached the opening, he found in dismay that it was blocked. There was some soft, but unyielding substance that closed the passage. The prince quickly realized that these were spider webs, but they were thicker and stronger than anything he had seen before. He took out his elven knives and started working frantically on clearing the way. But Shelob was too close. Legolas didn't have time to cut the webs. As he couldn't work faster, he realized that he needed to slow her down.

Shelob was a creature of evil and was created from darkness itself. Legolas knew that there was only one way to fight darkness – with light. Without stopping his work, he started singing softly with his clear elven voice: "A Elbereth Gilthoniel, silivren penna mìriel, o menel aglar elenath..." The elf felt that some faint light of Varda's bright stars had entered, if not in the tunnel, at least in his heart. Shelob seemed to hesitate for a moment. But the darkness inside her was too potent. She quickly overcame the shock of the elven song and sprang at her pray.

Legolas felt a sharp claw tear his flesh under his knee. But the delay he had gained was enough; the elf cut the last cobweb and ran out of the tunnel. Legolas glanced back and froze in horror. The creature was bigger than any spider he had seen. With surprise, the elf noted that one of the great eyes was dark. The spider has been attacked before, and, of course, the eyes were a weak spot. But before Legolas could react, Shelob was upon him.

The elf found himself below the spider's gruesome belly. The stench was intolerable. Legolas tried to force one of his knives into the beast, but the numerous dark layers covering the evil body were impenetrable. For no Man or Elf possessed the strength to wound her. Suddenly Legolas noticed something unusual. There was a wound on the spider's belly, which was not yet fully healed. The elf thrust his blade into the wound.

Sticky green fluid flowed out of the wound. Shelob retreated with a cry of pain. The elf was immediately on his feet, running up the path. A question couldn't get out of his mind. The spider was wounded before. What kind of creature was able to inflict such a wound? What great warrior had the strength to make suck a blow?

The prince had no way of knowing that the blade that had pierced Shelob before was nothing else but Sting, and the "great warrior" was in fact Samwise Gamgee, hobbit of the Shire. Using the spider's own weight, the brave gardener had done something that men greater than him were unable to do.

The elf ran up until the path turned left and suddenly went down. He stopped for a second and took another step. Legolas had entered Mordor.

"Trying to escape, are we, filthy rat?" the orc laughed at Aragorn, after knocking him down with a vicious blow at the back.

"If _I_ am filthy, I wonder how I should describe _you_," the man managed to whisper weakly but confidently. "Maybe 'pile of trash'?"

His words were rewarded by a kick which forced the air out of his lungs.

"I'll teach you how to speak to me!" the orc threatened. "I'll teach you how escape is rewarded here! Do you know what this is?" the orc took out a metal club with spikes pointed at many angles coming from one end. "You will learn soon. Oh, yes, you will learn how to talk to your masters." He added with a grin.

Aragorn pushed aside the wave of fear that was trying to get hold of him. "I must warn you that I'm a slow learner," he smiled boldly. This statement earned him another kick.

The orc grabbed his throat and dragged him to one of the torture rooms. Dozens of orcs and southern men came, each carrying a device, similar to the first orc's club. The door was slammed behind them.

Each strike sent a burning pain through his entire body. He could fight no longer. Unconsciousness now seemed to be the only way out, an escape to a world of peace and no pain. He gave up. "Arwen, forgive me, meleth-nîn," he whispered before darkness finally claimed him.

Legolas was relieved when he finally reached the dungeons unnoticed. He spent the last few hours crawling, hiding, waiting, and crawling again. Now when he seemed so near his final goal, he was suddenly at a loss. In the complicated labyrinth of dark corridors there were hundreds of torture cells, anguished screams coming from most of them. He didn't know if Aragorn was here. He listened intently to the screams, but couldn't recognize any of them. He half hoped, half feared to hear a familiar voice. He knew very well that his friend would not scream, unless in utter pain. Suddenly, his sharp elven hearing picked up a soft whisper. Words, muttered half in Sindarin. _Arwen, forgive me, my love._ There was no doubt who had spoken them.

Legolas quickly went to the door from which he had heard the whisper. It was a solid wooden door with no windows on it. His first impulse was to enter and shoot at every orc he sees inside, but forced himself to stop. He didn't know how many they were and if it wouldn't be too dark to shoot. Most of all, he wasn't sure what Estel's situation was. If he suddenly attacked the orcs and the men inside, they might kill his friend. He stopped by the door and listened carefully. Finally, he heard a hoarse voice.

"Leave him alone. He doesn't feel anything anymore." _He doesn't feel anything anymore? What did that mean? Was he dead or just unconscious?_ The uncertainty was tearing the elf's heart apart.

"He might be pretending as last time. He might try to escape again." _Escape? What had happened?_

"I don't think he needs to pretend this time, and, as for escaping, I don't think he's able to make a single step." O_, Estel! I'm sorry I didn't come earlier…_

"If we are over here, I'll go and check how the other prisoners are doing," a different voice announced.

Legolas ran to a nearby alcove in the wall and hid there. An idea was quickly forming in his mind. But he didn't know if the one coming out was an orc or a man. He hoped he was a man.

One of the southern men went out of the cell and took a turn left. Suddenly, someone grabbed him from behind and pulled him. The man was dead before he had time to react. Legolas promptly pressed a piece of cloth to the slit neck; he didn't want any blood around, neither on the floor, nor on the clothes. Especially on the clothes. He quickly took the man's clothes off and put them on. He hid his face and hair under a dark helm. After he put on the black gloves, his eyes were the only visible part of his body. None of the Haradrim men had blue eyes, but Legolas hoped that no one would notice his eye color in the dim light.

Legolas hid the body and his pack of supplies in the alcove. He didn't know what to do with his bow and quiver, and, finally, he reluctantly left them close to the door, so that he could retrieve them in case he needed them.

When the elf entered the torture cell, no one paid him any particular attention; men and orcs were coming in and going out all the time. He glanced in concern at the prone body on the floor. One of the orcs gave it a heavy kick. Before Legolas realized what he was doing, he rushed forward and pulled the creature back. All eyes stared at him. The prince quickly took control of himself again and stated in a low voice, "You'll kill him if you kick him again. I want to have fun tomorrow as well." Several orcs nodded approvingly. One of them yawned.

"So we are over for tonight. I'll go and help with the prisoner in cell fourteen. I think he also needed some persuasion." The evil creature grinned.

The door shut. In less than a minute it was thrown open again. The same orc rushed inside.

"Look what I found!" he laid an elven bow and quiver on the table. Legolas cursed himself for not hiding them with the body. Everyone gathered around to take a look.

One of the orcs that accompanied Sauron's messenger recognized the weapon, "They belong to one of the filthy elves!"

"So the elf is here?" another one questioned.

"Maybe he has come to free our prisoner. But soon he will join him," the orc grinned. "I have to go and tell master."

Before he could leave the room, Aragorn stirred slightly. The orc turned back, sensing that more fun is coming and not willing to miss it. "Are we awake, scum?" He grabbed Estel's head and jerked it up. "I'm afraid soon you'll wish you've never awaken." He landed his club on the man's back.

Aragorn gasped at the sudden hurt, but looked at his tormentor's eyes and said boldly, "If being awake means having to watch your face, it's surely better never to wake up. No nightmare could be uglier than this."

The orc hit his head hard on the floor. Aragorn raised it slowly and was about to reply, when something caught his sight. On the table he saw a weapon he has seen before. Many times. But what was it doing here?

"Le…Legolas?"

"Ah, you are looking at the bow of your elven friend? I think he came here only because he wanted to help you. Too bad he is dead."

Aragorn stared at the orc in disbelief. The elf couldn't have died for him. It was not a thought he could bear.

Legolas couldn't stand this any more; it was so cruel. He had to do something.

"Yes, he would have been a nice toy to play with. It's a pity we killed him."

"You lie, coward! You could never have killed him! He is too smart for you!" Aragorn's voice was trembling despite his attempts to keep it steady.

One of the southern men walked to the table and took the bow, playing with it.

"Don't you dare touch this bow!" the man shouted. "Don't you dare put your dirty hands on it!" The thought that this filthy creature was playing with his friend's favorite weapon enraged him.

The man took the quiver and put it on his back. Seeing the effect this had on their prisoner, the orcs cheered loudly. They saw that the psychological torments had a much stronger effect on Aragorn than the physical ones. It seemed that this Haradrim man had found his weak spot, something the orcs have been unable to do for so long. It was somewhat shaming that a man proved to be a better tormentor than them, but right now they just wanted to enjoy the anguish this tactic seemed to be inflicting.

The man mockingly pointed an arrow at Aragorn. All orcs and other men were laughing loudly.

"Kill me, filthy creature! Kill me! I bet you cannot even shoot with that bow!"

Aragorn was wrong.

The tip of the arrow quickly moved slightly to the right, and before anyone could comprehend what was going on, it pierced an orc's heart. Arrows were flying from the bow with tremendous speed, and each one was deadly. Orcs and men were falling down before they could reach their weapons.

Only one orc managed to creep unnoticed behind the archer, holding his knife.

"Legolas!" Aragorn shouted in warning. He had no doubt any more who the mysterious man was.

The elf turned, but it was too late. The orc was too close for a shot, and Legolas didn't have his elven blades with him. The orc knocked him down, trying to cut his throat.

Aragorn rose slightly and started crawling towards the combat. Obviously, the orc had forgotten all about him or didn't believe he could rise again. On his way he picked a knife. With a quick move, he trusted it into the orc's back and collapsed over the body in exhaustion.

"Aragorn?" The elf carefully tipped his head up and gazed into the pain-filled eyes.

"Legolas, that was the most insane thing I have seen! How could you come to Mordor? What were you thinking?"

"And I supposed this is the way humans say 'Thank you for saving my life'," the elf observed. "I've always thought that Men are a weird race, and I should be prepared for everything, but you always find a way to surprise me, my friend." Legolas smiled and slightly shook his head.

"I'm sorry mellon-nîn," overwhelmed by pain and relief, Aragorn rested his head on his friend's shoulder. "I am most grateful. It's just that … when I saw your bow I was so afraid. I thought I've lost you."

"Really? You thought they killed me?" the elf smiled slightly. "How could they, I am too smart for them." The man smiled and Legolas added softly, "I was also afraid I might lose you."

"You won't get rid of me so easy, Elf! Don't you know how stubborn I am?"

"I know, my friend. But what have they done to you?" he looked at Aragorn's injuries in dismay. As he felt the man shake slightly at the memory of his tortures, he quickly added, "Whatever they have done, it's over. They'll never hurt you again. It's over. Estel, do you hear me?" Legolas asked worriedly as he got no response. "It's over."

"Over? And how do you suppose we are going to get out of here?" Aragorn smiled grimly, as he noted the confused look on his friend's face. "You never thought about this, did you? That's what you should expect from Elves – they have millennia ahead of them, but never have a plan how to survive the next few hours," he teased.

"That's totally not true," Legolas protested. "I was so intent on finding you that I didn't think about the way back. Blame me for that if you wish," he pretended to be offended, but was actually happy that his friend had enough strength to jest.

"But how did you get here anyway?"

"Through a passage. But I wouldn't go back there. I hardly came in, I wouldn't risk going out that way, especially with you injured. The only other way to get out is the Black Gate, and it will never open."

"Legolas, please, let's get out of this room. I don't want to stay here anymore."

"Not before I see to your wounds."

"I'm fine."

"Of course you are," the elf smiled. "Wait here."

He went to the alcove to retrieve his supplies. He had taken some bandages and healing herbs that might be useful. When he entered the cell, Aragorn had tried to rise, and the elf had to rush forward and catch him before he collapsed.

"You cannot walk on your own, stubborn human. Here, let me help you."

"I must walk on my own. Otherwise we'll get caught."

"We'll get caught even if you walk on your own, especially if you walk like that." The elf didn't seem to follow.

"No. No, we won't. I'll walk on my own and we will get out through the Black Gate. You seem to be forgetting something, mellon-nîn. You forget that I am not an elf. And do you know what this means?" Aragorn smiled widely despite his burned lips and winked to his friend. "It means that _I_ have a plan."

TBC

_Chapter 3 is on its way :) Thanks for the patience. And many, many thanks to all my reviewers!_

9


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

"Estel, that plan is crazy! It will never work."

"Do you have a better one?" the man asked. "There is no other way to escape. We have to try. Besides, we have nothing to lose."

Nothing to lose, the elf thought. Yes, it was true that they were in the middle of Mordor, without any chance to get out. He wanted to believe that it couldn't get any worse. But this was another lesson he had learned from his friendship with Aragorn. It could always get worse. Much worse. Somehow, this man had the talent to get into trouble. The elf smiled slightly, realizing that he had the same talent. Yes, it was always interesting when they were together…

"There are so many things that could go wrong," Legolas reminded. "For example, he may decide that he wants to see me. What should we do then?"

"Now is not the time to worry about this. Trust me."

The elf wasn't satisfied, but didn't have much of a choice. "Alright then, I thrust you. But what should I tell him?"

"Don't worry about that. Let me do the talking."

"_You_ do the talking? In case you haven't noticed, you can barely talk. And barely stand. I really don't see how we are going to fool him."

"I said, trust me." Aragorn smiled, took the elven bow and quiver in his left hand, and went out of the room. Legolas sighed and followed.

Gandalf woke up before sunrise and went out of the tent. Now he knew what to do. He knew how to make Sauron open the Black Gate and send his forces. But it wouldn't be an easy task. He would need all of his willpower to do it, and he wasn't even sure of the success. He just had to wait for the morning…

Someone was knocking on the door. In the middle of the night. The Mouth of Sauron was irritated. These mindless orcs could never make a decision without asking him. He couldn't wait to get out of here. He hoped that Sauron would send him to Isengard after Saruman's failure, but his Lord had not made the decision yet. He though he had pleased him by bringing the human, but it seemed that this wasn't enough. What else did he need to do to please him?

An orc entered the room and bowed slightly.

"What is it?" the dark man asked impatiently.

"There are two Haradrim men who want to see you, my Lord," the orc replied.

"See me? On what business?"

"They didn't say. But they said that they needed to talk to you and that it was important."

Sauron's Messenger wasn't pleased at all. It seemed that everyone could talk to him about anything at any time. He had to do something about this, impose some control.

"Let them come," he finally said, "And, for their sake, I hope it is really important."

The two men entered the room. One of them took a step forward and bowed respectfully.

"My Lord, I am happy to tell you that we are bringing good news."

Legolas watched his friend with fascination. Aragorn was perfectly imitating the heavy Haradrim accent of the Common tongue. His voice was unrecognizable and the weakness in it completely gone.

"I'll decide if the news is good." The Mouth of Sauron glared at the man.

"Forgive me, my Lord. Of course you will." Aragorn paused. Obviously, the first impression he made wasn't good enough. This might turn out to be harder than he thought. "I believe you would like to know that we have captured one of the elves that accompanied the wizard."

The dark creature was incredulous, "And you call this good news! Someone has managed to enter Mordor, to pass unnoticed by the guards! And now I have to report it to Sauron! Could you, please, explain me what is exactly 'good' about this?"

"The little Halfling also got into Mordor, and Master wasn't displeased about that. His capture served a good purpose," Aragorn reminded.

"The Halfling didn't get into Mordor; he was found unconscious near Shelob's lair and brought here."

For a second both man and elf stared at the Mouth of Sauron. This was new to them. Of course, they had no way of knowing how Frodo had managed to get into Mordor, and, apparently, the task had not been an easy one. Legolas first overcame the shock of this new information.

"This doesn't make any difference," the elf stated, trying to make his voice sound hoarse. "We were able to trade the Halfling spy, and trade him well. We could do the same with the elf."

"Trade the elf?" the Mouth of Sauron seemed to be considering the idea.

"Yes, my Lord." Aragorn brought forward Legolas' bow and quiver. "We have his weapons. Let us go and show them to the wizard, and demand anything you wish for."

That was what Aragorn hoped to achieve. Sauron's Messenger had to send Legolas and him out to trade the elf. Then they would be free. Of course, he didn't even hope that the dark man would send only the two of them. There would be other men and orcs, maybe even the Messenger himself. But there was an entire army outside; the orcs could easily be killed. That would be against all negotiation rules, but not many rules were followed in this war. Besides, Legolas had told him that Sauron hadn't actually returned Frodo, so they would not be the first ones to break the rules.

"And what could we trade him for? We already got what my Master wanted."

Legolas quickly realized what the Messenger's weakness was. He was greedy, he desired power. He was determined to please Sauron and be rewarded. They had to use this weakness.

"Maybe our Lord will be pleased if you brought him a wizard." The elf suggested. It didn't really matter what they requested, they weren't going to get it anyway. They just had to be sent on this mission…

The dark man seemed to like the idea, but shook his head in doubt. "No, they would never trade the wizard for that elf."

"We cannot know for sure. They traded Isildur's heir for a Halfling," Aragorn reminded.

The Mouth of Sauron was thinking for a moment. "I still wonder how that elf came here. I'll go and see him. Maybe he can answer."

Legolas felt his heart sink, but managed to reply, "There is no need, my Lord. We questioned him already. He has come through the Cirith Ungol path."

"Oh, he has passed by Shelob? Impressive. Anyway, I would talk to him. Take me to him." He ordered.

Legolas shot his friend an I-told-you glance. Now is not the time to worry about this, the man had said. Well, maybe _now_ was the time to worry about this.

To the elf's shock, Aragorn didn't seem worried at all. "Certainly, my Lord. Follow me." He bowed again to the Messenger and went out of the room. Legolas just shook his head in disbelief and followed.

They had reached the door of the cell where Aragorn had been kept. The ranger opened the door. "This is where the elf is."

The Mouth of Sauron entered and froze in shock. The floor was covered with the bodies of orcs and men. Before he could do anything, however, he was stabbed with a dagger in his back, which pierced his heart. Aragorn let the body drop to the floor.

"Nicely handled, my friend." Legolas glanced dispassionately at the body. "But I wished you have told me about this part of your plan."

"I wish I knew about this part of my plan," the ranger smiled and dropped heavily on the floor. He rested his back on the wall and closed his eyes. The effort to hide his weakness had completely drained him.

The elf sat in front of him and pulled the man forward, so that his head finally rested on Legolas's shoulder. He gently wrapped his arms around his friend's shoulders, careful of his injuries, and whispered softly, "Rest, Estel. You are exhausted."

"No," Aragorn tried to protest. "We have to get out of here."

"I'm sorry you plan didn't work, mellon-nîn."

"What do you mean it didn't work?" The man smiled cryptically. "It is just beginning."

Gandalf was standing on Shadowfax' back in front of the Black Gate. Elrohir and Éomer were on his left, and Elladan and Gimli were mounted on one horse on his right.

"Sauron, come out!" the wizard demanded. There was no reply. Gandalf took a deep breath and continued. "I have something that you might be interested in. I have the One Ring."

Suddenly, the Istar felt a burning gaze penetrate him. He was stripped of all his protections and his bare soul was exposed to this stare. He knew that Sauron was searching through him, trying to find the truth. The Maia tried to close his heart before the Enemy had found what he was looking for. He concentrated all of his willpower to push the gaze back.

Sauron was worried. The wizard didn't give in that easily. He couldn't look right through him. Could he really have the Ring?

_Are you telling the truth?_ Gandalf could hear the Dark Lord's voice in his head.

_Yes, I am. I have the One Ring._ Sauron heard the Istar's thoughts, but didn't know if they were coming from his heart. The wizard's heart was closed to him.

_Why should I believe you, Olórin?_ Sauron used Gandalf's Maiar name. _Why would you tell me that you have the Ring?_

_Because I want to fight with you, and you don't want to meet me in battle. I have come to destroy you, Sauron!_ Gandalf was feeling exhausted. He knew he couldn't stand this much longer. It was a battle of wills between him and Sauron. They were both Maiar, but Sauron was more powerful, and Gandalf knew it.

_Destroy me? With this army? Olórin, you know very well what forces I have and that you cannot stand against them._

_Not if I have the Ring. This gives me advantage._

_You know you cannot use it!_

_Maybe I know something you don't._

_If you have it, show it to me!_

_So that you know where it is? I have the Ring, Sauron, but it is hidden. And I know very well how to use it._

Fear was taking hold of Sauron's mind. Maybe the wizard really had the Ring. But he could never use it. Sauron was certain of that. Could the Istar be such a fool? He couldn't take any chances. He had to find out. And, who knows, maybe luck was on his side today. If Gandalf really had the Ring and planned to use it, then he would certainly fail. The Ring would hear his Master's call, especially now, when it was so close to him.

The Black Gate opened.

The orc captain raised his head, as two men approached him. Men annoyed him immensely. He didn't see why Sauron had to keep them at all.

"We come with orders from the Mouth of Sauron," one of them stated. "One of the wizard's companions, an elf, has been captured. We are going to be sent to negotiate with the wizard."

The orc gave them an amused glance. "When did you receive these orders?"

"This morning," Aragorn replied, scared by the weakness he heard in his own voice. He pushed aside the dizziness that came to him due to his numerous injuries and exhaustion. There was something in the orc's voice he did not like. "Why?"

"Haven't you heard? The Gate is open. Master is fighting with the wizard. Almost everyone is sent. I was left behind to guard the prisoners. I just wonder where you were hiding, so that you weren't sent?" the orc looked at them searchingly.

Aragorn tried to answer, but suddenly he felt the world spin around at alarming speed. He fell to the floor before the shocked elf could catch him.

The ranger rose slowly and met the orc's questioning gaze.

"Are you injured?"

"Yes, he is," Legolas replied quickly. "He was injured while we were trying to capture the elf. That one put up quite a fight. Killed a lot of our men. That elf is quite a warrior, I truly admired his skills."

The orc shoot Legolas a disapproving look. "Those filthy elves… I bet one of my orcs could take twenty of them at once. Of course, you are men and probably have some difficulties," the orc grinned.

"Great idea, my friend," Aragorn smiled weakly when they went out of the room. "To express admiration of the battle skills of a 'filthy elf'."

"Well, it was certainly better than your idea to collapse in the middle of the conversation," Legolas glanced worriedly at the ranger. "We can't go on until you get some rest, mellon-nîn."

Aragorn just shook his head. "It has begun," he said thoughtfully. "The battle. I didn't expect that now."

"Me neither," Legolas agreed. "Sauron didn't seem interested in us at all after you were gone. I wonder what Mithrandir has done to get his attention. Anyway, he has succeeded. The pass is now free and Frodo can complete his task."

"So it has been in vain then," Estel met the elf's questioning look and added, "your coming here."

"What do you mean?"

"In spite of everything, Frodo will be given the chance to destroy the Ring. It seems that he didn't need me at all. My presence was not required for the mission's success. There was no need for you to come and save me."

"Aragorn, I can't believe that! Did you think I came to save Frodo's mission? Did you think I came to save Middle-earth?" The elf looked incredulously at the human. "I came to save _you_."

Aragorn held his friend's gaze for a moment. "I know, mellon-nîn. I know." He leaned forward until their foreheads touched and his hands wrapped behind the elf's head. They stayed like that for some time.

"Hannon le," the man whispered.

"What is it, Mr. Frodo?" Sam asked worriedly as his master stopped abruptly.

Frodo turned his pale and tense face to his loyal servant. Sam's heart leapt with joy. Trouble and exhaustion could be seen on this face, but he also saw something else. Something he hadn't seen in a long time. A smile.

"He is not looking for me anymore, Sam. He left me alone. His gaze turned somewhere else."

"We need to get out of here before they find out that I am missing," Aragorn said. "They'll easily find out that the clothes from two of the bodies are taken and will start checking all strangers."

"They won't be looking for two. They don't know that I'm here."

"They will see that the orcs were slain by arrows. The wounds are unmistakable. Besides, I already told that orc that you are captured."

"Do you think anyone will come to the room soon? Did they know you were there?"

"I don't know. This was not the cell I was supposed to be in," the ranger paused, trying to recollect the events. "I escaped, and when they found me, I was thrown into a random cell. I think it's quite possible that everyone who knew I was there was in the room when you came and is now dead."

An anguished scream came from one of the cells. The orcs who were left to guard the dungeons were still torturing their prisoners. Aragorn stared at the door. "I wish we could save them all."

The elf looked fondly at his friend. He would be such a good king. If only they could get out of here… "I know. But we can't. Besides, it will be of no use if the lands fall into darkness. The only way we can truly help them is to get out of here and win this war."

Sauron was greatly troubled and didn't know why. A memory couldn't get out of his consciousness, a memory that had never stopped tormenting him during his long years of immaterial existence. But now it was getting stronger and stronger, giving him no rest. The picture was clear in his mind and he remembered all the details as if it had happened yesterday. A young Gondorian took his father's broken sword and cut his finger. He lost almost all his power on that day. Sauron was nearly destroyed by a mere human. And now his heir was alive and so close to him. The Dark Lord didn't know why he was so worried, the Númenorean was a prisoner, perhaps already dead. This fear was definitely irrational. And yet…

Unable to bear this any longer, Sauron diverted his gaze from the battle. He let his look go to the dungeons, penetrating walls and doors. What he saw drove him into panic.

The man was not there. Many of his servants lay slain in a room. His Messenger was also dead. That fool. He should have known…

About half of his forces were already out to meet the army of Men. That was enough for now. He couldn't spare any more. All the rest would go in search of the fugitive. This Man had to be found. The Black Gate closed.

Legolas looked back to check on his friend, and in alarm observed that Aragorn had stopped a few paces behind.

"I need to rest, my friend. I'm sorry." The man sat down.

Legolas was worried. He knew that the ranger wouldn't show any weakness, unless it was too hard to hide it. "Of course," he replied softly. "We can stay as much as you need."

"No we can't. We'll never get far at this pace," the despair in his voice scared the elf. "I'm slowing you down."

"There is nothing you could do about this."

The man sadly shook his head. "We can't both get out of here. You must go, Legolas! Then at least one of us has the chance to be saved."

The elf stared at him in disbelief, "Do you think I came all the way here just to leave you? Don't ask this of me. I can never do it."

Aragorn was about to protest, but saw the determination in his friend's eyes. He felt both gratefulness and regret. If Legolas was going to stay with him, then the least he could do was not slow him down. He raised and slowly made a few steps.

But suddenly he froze, a look of pure horror on his face.

"Aragorn, what is it?" The elf shook his friend gently as he got no response. "Estel?"

He felt as if his soul was standing bare in front of a burning gaze. The gaze entered his mind and his heart, looking through all his thoughts, all his memories, all his fears, discovering everything about him and his past.

"Estel?!"

"He saw me," the man muttered.

Gandalf watched in terror as the Black Gate closed. Something happen, something attracted Sauron's attention. What could it be? Could he have seen the Ring-bearer? In any case, their mission failed. About half of the orcs remained in Mordor.

But still a great part of the army was outside. Gandalf realized that they were probably five or six thousand. They were too many for their small army. The wizard knew that a man was worth several orcs, and not because of battle skills. The men were fighting together, fighting for each other, protecting each other. This was their greatest strength. And the orcs were fighting alone. They would never help if one of their own was wounded, or his life was threatened. Yes, men had something orcs didn't, something that gave them a great advantage. Love and loyalty. But Gandalf knew that this wouldn't be enough.

The wizard took out his long sword Glamdring. "Stay close to me," he whispered to Pippin and rode forward. Soon they were surrounded by orcs. Gandalf looked around to see how his friends were faring. Éomer slit and orc's throat with his sword. Gimli was striking with his axe on the heads of his attackers, knocking them down. The twins were fighting back to back, each holding a pair of long elven blades. After long centuries of fighting together, the brothers were acting in complete accord. The blades were cutting through their enemies in graceful arcs. They were a beautiful and horrific sight.

"Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen…" suddenly Gimli stopped. What was he doing? It had become a natural instinct for him to count the fallen enemies, so that he could compare the number with Legolas. But his friend was not there. Maybe he would never see the elf again. What was the point of counting?

Gimli pushed away the despair. Maybe Legolas was somewhere in Mordor, fighting with orcs, and maybe he was counting them to brag about it to the dwarf when he came back. Yes, they would surely meet again. And Gimli had to be prepared for this meeting. "Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen…"

Gandalf allowed himself a soft sigh of relief. His companions were doing well. But he knew that wouldn't last long. The orcs were too many. They were all going to die.

"He sees me, Legolas. He knows that it is me. I cannot hide anymore."

"Then we must go at once!" The elf tensed as his sharp hearing detected hundreds, no, thousands, of orc feet, running at their direction.

"Don't you understand? We have nowhere to go. He saw me. He knows where I am." Aragorn paused and looked at the sad blue eyes fixed upon him. "There is no hope for me, Legolas, but you can still escape."

"I told you I can't do this."

"Listen to me. You cannot save me. You must leave, my friend," the man's voice was pleading. "Please, Legolas. Go!"

"I will go," the elf held his friend's arm. "But not without you."

Legolas ran into the darkness, dragging the ranger behind him.

The man and the elf just ran without stopping. They threw away the Haradrim helms and gloves as their identities were known now, and they were only a burden to them in the Mordor heat. But the orcs were quickly gaining on them. Even Aragorn could hear them now. That made him run even faster in spite of the pain. His friend had chosen to stay with him, and that placed a great weight on his heart. They mustn't be captured.

Soon the orcs came into view. A volley of arrows flew past the two fugitives, miraculously not hitting them. Legolas turned back and fired a dozen arrows in their pursuers and went on running. Aragorn stopped in horror as an arrow passed by his neck, almost hitting him. Suddenly the elf stumbled forward. To his great dismay, the ranger realized that this was caused by an arrow that hit his friend in the left shoulder. He immediately ran to Legolas.

"I'm alright," the elf tried to dissipate his friend's fears. "It's just a scratch." He reached back to take the arrow out.

"Don't," Aragorn warned. "We can't bandage the wound right now. If the arrow is out, you'll lose blood more quickly. Wait!" He took out a knife and carefully cut half of the arrow's tail. "That way it won't move that much. We need to find a safe place and take it out." He looked worriedly at the arrow. He hoped it was not poisonous, but there was no way to deal with this right know.

The arrows continued to fly around them. There was nowhere to hide in the barren Mordor land. They had to zigzag, so that they wouldn't be such an easy target, but this additionally slowed them down. The orc army would soon be upon them.

"That way," Aragorn quickly grabbed the elf's arm and ran towards the edge of a cliff. "We must jump."

Legolas looked down. The cliff was quite deep. The jump would be risky even if they were in perfect shape, and now his shoulder was hurting and his friend's injuries were quite serious. "We won't survive this jump," he said darkly.

_I might not survive it, in fact I'm almost sure I won't, but you will, my friend. And I won't see you die,_ Aragorn thought. "We will survive it. Trust me." The man said and jumped.

Legolas looked down in dismay. _This crazy human will the death of me_, he thought before he jumped.

Legolas bent his knees to reduce the impact force, but this didn't help a lot. Bright spots danced in front of his eyes. He felt as if the arrow in his shoulder had gone deeper. Pain went through his entire body. _I'll kill that human! I hope we both survive this, so that I can kill him…_

He turned around and froze as he saw his friend's body, lying face down on the ground.

"Estel!" he ran as quickly as he could. "Estel, no!" Legolas gently lifted the man's head. The eyelids slowly lifted and two dilated gray eyes looked at him.

"I told you … we … we would survive this jump," Aragorn whispered.

"I know I could trust you," Legolas managed to say in spite of the tears of relief, threatening to overwhelm him. "They are coming… We must go."

The orcs had already reached the edge of the cliff, but seemed hesitant to jump. It was truly deep. They went back, heading to a path that safely led to the bottom.

Aragorn slowly rose on his feet. They had gained some time and could not afford to lose it. They ran on.

Suddenly they stopped. There was another orc army in front of them. The first one was coming from behind. They were surrounded and had nowhere to escape.

Aragorn took out his sword. "So this is it then. We die here." Surprised, he looked at his friend. His eyes were sad, but there was a slight smile on his lips. "What are you smiling about?"

"It's just that I was sure it could always get worse," the elf said softly and looked at his friend's face. He was certain that this was the last time he could look at it. Then he turned to face their enemies.

Legolas was firing hundreds of arrows in the orc army, but it didn't make any difference. The orcs were numerous. Soon they were upon them. Aragorn fought fiercely, killing orc after orc, but he felt that his strength was failing him. He couldn't hold on much longer. He tried to stay close to Legolas, but they were soon separated. He fought, desperately trying to get back to the elf.

Legolas fell on his knees with a soft cry of pain as two arrows struck his left leg at the same time. An orc came from behind and forcefully hit his head with the back of an axe. The prince fell forward.

Aragorn watched in horror his friend fall, unable to get to him on time. This was really the end. For a moment he thought about Frodo, but there was no way the Ring-bearer could succeed. So many orcs had remained in Mordor, and they would soon return to the valley around Mount Doom, blocking the hobbit's way. This was the first time in Estel's life when he completely lost all hope.

A fierce blow on his head was the last thing he felt.

**To be continued …**

_Isn't that a nice place to end the chapter:) Don't worry, mellyn-nîn, Chapter 4 is coming in a week!_

_Many thanks to those who reviewed Chapter 2!!! As I told you, this is my first story and I have no idea if it's good or not, so I really care what you think._

_Special thanks to Sarah for pointing out to me that the singular of Istari is Istar. I've read all of the books translated, so I sometimes have problems with the terminology. Please don't hesitate to tell me if I write something stupid :)_

_See you in Chapter 4!_

9


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4

Aragorn was sitting on the floor, his hands chained to the wall, staring at the unconscious elf beside him. He wondered why the orcs had kept them alive. Maybe more tortures were coming. And now they were going to torture Legolas as well. Because of him.

Arwen would die because of him. Legolas would die because of him. Who was he to change the fate of immortal beings? A mere human. Insignificant mortal. How did he deserve such love, such sacrifice? Aragorn wished he was never born. He wished he had died long ago, much before it had come to that. Yes, he would rather die a thousand times than have two of the Firstborn die because of him. The two he loved the most. Why did it always happen so that the ones he loved were hurt because of him?

He spoke softly to the unresponsive form on the floor. "Please wake up, mellon-nîn. I wish to speak to you one last time; I wish to hear your voice one last time … before the end. I need to tell you how sorry I am." He stretched his arm as much as his chains allowed him and gently stroked the long golden hair. "Please, my friend, … one last time."

Gandalf swung Glamdring in an arc and cut an orc's head. Then he quickly turned left to face another one. Suddenly, the wizard was knocked down. Gandalf rolled to his back, but then the heavy boot of a huge orc was pressed hard on his chest, forcing the air out of his lungs. The Maia tried to fight, but it was useless. The orc grinned and raised his scimitar.

Suddenly the orc fell to his knees with a surprised gasp of pain. The blade that cut his legs was raised again and thrust into his back. The orc fell down and didn't rise.

Gandalf stared at Pippin, who was still holding the small sword sticking out of the orc's back. The hobbit was trembling, looking wide-eyed at the dead orc. Gandalf rose slowly and pulled the small being close to him. Stay close to me, the wizard had instructed the hobbit as the battle started. He though he needed to protect Pippin. And now the small creature had unexpectedly turned into his protector. War could make heroes of them all. But it would surely soon make corpses of them all…

The wizard raised Glamdring again. There was not a moment to spare; the battle was as intense as ever. All men were fighting bravely, but the orcs were too many. Gandalf realized that they could not hold on much longer.

"Mae govannen, mellon-nîn," Aragorn smiled in spite of his despair as Legolas slowly opened his eyes. "I was afraid you've left me."

"Human memory is remarkable, my friend," the elf returned the smile. "How many times do I need to tell you that I'm not going to leave you? I told you I can't."

The man sighed. "You should have. You shouldn't be here. I'm so sorry, Legolas, it is all my fault. I'm sorry you're here."

"Don't be. I'm not sorry I'm here." Aragorn gave him a surprised glance. "No, I'm not," the elf continued. "I don't know how I would have lived with the thought that you have died alone."

"I'd rather have died alone," the man admitted.

"Don't blame yourself for my choices, Estel," Legolas said softly. "I chose to come here. And I chose to stay. And I don't regret it."

But Aragorn wasn't comforted by his friend's words. Legolas couldn't die with him, he was not supposed to die. But could he offer his friend any hope that they were getting out of this alive?

Why had Lord Elrond given him that name? Estel. He was expected to be the Hope of All Men. How could he be the hope of all Men in Middle-earth, when he couldn't give hope even to his closest friends, when all hope was gone from his own heart?

No, he was not allowed to despair. There had to be a way. And he had to find it.

A sudden thought came to his mind. Frodo. But could the hobbit still succeed? No, it was impossible. The orcs that were sent to find him would go back. Sauron would soon send them back.

But what if he didn't? What if his mind was preoccupied with something else, so that he would forget about the orcs? But what could keep the Dark Lord's attention? What would disturb him so greatly, that he would forget everything else?

No, he couldn't do this. It would never work. It was too late. He had failed. He had failed Arwen, he had failed Legolas, he had failed Frodo, he had failed the Quest.

_Not yet. I haven't tried. I can't lose hope yet. _

_But why should he care? Sauron is not afraid of me. Why should he be afraid of me?_

_No! He is afraid of me. For I am Isildur's heir, and if someone can defeat him, it is me. I won't give up. _

_I still have hope._

It was time. He had been waiting in the shadows for too long. But now he had to accept the role he was born for.

Aragorn concentrated all of his strength, all of his wishes, all of his willpower into one single thought.

_Talk to me._

Sauron was greatly troubled. The Man wanted to talk to him. Why? And why did that disturb him? He was a prisoner, he could never harm him. But the picture in his mind was more vivid than ever. The young Gondorian lifted the broken sword and his world ended. The Dark Lord could deny the truth no more.

Sauron was afraid.

Legolas was wondering at his friend's concentration and was about to ask him what he is doing, when he felt a strong evil presence in the room.

Aragorn felt the already familiar burning gaze searching through him. He needed all his will not to let his courage fail him.

_What do you want?_ He heard the words in his head.

_Do you know who I am?_

_Yes, I do. You are a prisoner who is going to die soon._

_That might be true. But you will follow me. You know very well who I am, Sauron. I know that you still remember how you lost your Ring and your body. I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn, Heir of Isildur. The blood of Númenor flows in my vein, and I have come to finish what my ancestor has started. I have come to destroy you, Sauron!_

_Destroy me? You are a prisoner. You cannot do anything!_

_I already escaped twice. What makes you think I won't do it again?_

Twice? Sauron was surprised. Obviously his servants didn't tell him everything. He needed to do something about it.

_I could order your death at any time. I could order it right now._

_That won't save you. You'll still be destroyed._

_Destroyed? How?_

Aragorn knew that he was no danger to Sauron. But he had to keep the Dark Lord's attention. He had to give the Ring-bearer as much time as possible. What could he tell him? What would scare Sauron? Could he lie to him that he has a son, a heir that is kept secret and safe and will come to fight Mordor? No, a lie was out of question. The penetrating gaze would soon discover it, and Aragorn had no power to deceive the Maia.

Legolas sensed that his friend was leading some kind of a fight and somehow knew that he shouldn't interfere. The evil presence in the room was growing stronger.

No, he definitely couldn't lie to Sauron. The truth was the only choice.

_We found a way to destroy you forever, Sauron. The mission is close to success._

_There is no way you can defeat me!_

_There is and we know it. _

Aragorn felt the Dark Lord's burning gaze searching through him. Sauron could sense no lie. No, there was no doubt. The Man was telling the truth. They had found a way to defeat him.

_You won't finish your mission! I will kill you!_

_I am not connected to the Quest anymore. My death will not hinder it._

Sauron looked through him again. Yes, he was telling the truth. The Dark Lord felt helpless fear take hold of him.

_What is this Quest? How can I stop it? Tell me! Speak!_

And again Aragorn felt Sauron's gaze looking through him. He knew that he was playing a dangerous game. He had managed to disturb Sauron, but now the Dark Lord could learn about Frodo and the mission to destroy the Ring. He mustn't allow that. He needed all his will to hide the truth.

_Tell me! Tell me or I will kill you._

_Telling you won't save me from death. Why would I tell you? Kill me. I am not afraid of you._

No, the Man was not afraid. Sauron could sense that. Death threats wouldn't help. But there must be something he was afraid of. He knew how to find it…

Once again Aragorn felt the burning stare search through his soul, digging out his deepest fears.

_You will tell me what this Quest is about!_

_Never._

Suddenly, the door opened. An orc entered, holding a short knife in his right hand, an evil grin on his face.

_You will tell me what the Quest is about or this orc will kill the elf!_

Aragorn hesitated.

_Your threats will not scare me, Sauron. He will die even if I tell you. Telling you won't help anyone._

Sauron was satisfied. He knew he had achieved his goal. Aragorn's words sounded confident, but were not. The Dark Lord could sense a great fear.

_Very well, then. Should I give the orc my orders?_

The evil creature took a step towards Legolas.

"Estel, what is going on?" the elf asked in apprehension. Somehow he could sense that his friend knew something he didn't.

_Won't you answer him?_ Aragorn heard Sauron's voice in his head. _Won't you tell him you have chosen his death?_

"Estel?"

Aragorn slowly raised his head and looked at the elf, and Legolas shuddered at the anguish he saw on his friend's face. "Aragorn, what is happening? Please, mellon-nîn, talk to me!"

"I have failed you, Legolas. This is what is going on. I have failed you again. I'm so sorry.." the man's voice broke. Maybe it was better this way, he tried to convince himself. Sooner or later they would both die. Maybe it was better if Legolas died right now quickly instead of going through all the horror that awaited them both. But he wasn't ready to say goodbye…

It was as if Sauron had read his mind.

And he probably had.

_If you don't tell me what this Quest is about, he will die. And don't think it will be an easy death. He will die slowly. And painfully. And you will watch it._

Sauron was proud of himself. Isildur's heir had been so bold and proud in the beginning, but now the Dark Lord had succeeded. He could sense a fear so strong that it surprised him. Why did the human care that much about this elf? He could not understand. He could never understand for Sauron had never known friendship.

Legolas sensed the evil presence in the room grow even stronger. He turned his perplexed sapphire eyes to his friend. "Estel, please, tell me what is going on!" he asked with a shaking voice.

Aragorn couldn't speak. He just stretched his trembling chained arm towards the elf's. Legolas saw what he was trying to do and tightly grasped his hand.

The orc's grin grew wider. He turned to Legolas. "My master said I should cut you into pieces." He violently grabbed the elf's hand that was still holding the man's and pulled it up. "Maybe I should start with your pretty fingers."

_No!_ "No!" Aragorn screamed again, this time aloud. "Don't touch him, Sauron! Don't… I'll tell you what you want to know…"

Legolas looked at him shocked. Sauron?

_Will you tell me more about this Quest?_

Aragorn hesitated. He had caused all this. How did he think he could speak with Sauron? How could he think he would deceive the Maia? Who did he think he was? Isildur's heir… Was this something to be proud of? If it wasn't for Isildur's weakness, the Ring would have been destroyed a long time ago. Isildur had failed. And now his heir had failed…

"I can't," he answered aloud this time. He knew Sauron would hear him, no matter how he talked. "I can't," his voice was drowned in tears.

_Then the elf will die. I'll order my servant to cut him piece by piece, right in front of your eyes. Won't you at least tell him that you are the reason for his death? Won't you-_

The voice suddenly stopped.

No, it didn't just stop. It_ disappeared_.

Legolas sensed that the evil presence in the room was gone. But not only that. Somehow this land didn't feel that evil anymore. Even the air felt fresher.

The orc froze. He didn't know what to do. His entire life he had been commanded by a single will, each one of his actions guided. Now the will was gone. He was on his own.

Legolas was first to break the silence, "Did he …"

"Yes," Aragorn answered softly. "Frodo destroyed the Ring."

Legolas was silent for a few seconds, trying to comprehend what had just occurred. "You did something." He eyed the human suspiciously.

"Yes, I did." Aragorn finally managed to smile, still shaken by the events. "At last I accepted who I am."

His smile quickly faded, however, as the orc grabbed his hair and jerked his head backwards.

"Master is gone," the evil creature whispered. "But maybe it's better that way. He wanted me to kill the elf. Now I can kill you both."

"Leave him alone!" Legolas fought with his chains, much to the orc's amusement.

"As you wish," he grinned again. "I'll come back to him after I've finished cutting you into pieces." He walked to Legolas and picked his hand again. The elf pulled back and muttered an expression that was more appropriate for a bandit or a drunkard, than for a prince. The ranger looked at his friend surprised and wondered if Legolas had learned these words in Thranduil's palace. The orc smiled and raised his knife.

Aragorn watched in horror. He couldn't let this happen. He had to attract the orc's attention in some way. He had to make him angry.

"It's easy to terrorize chained prisoners, stinky scum! You are a coward! Does it make you feel strong? I hope it does because you'll never experience this feeling for real!"

"Estel, don't!" the elf immediately knew what his friend was trying to do, but it was too late. The orc gave the ranger a fierce kick in his already injured back.

Aragorn closed his eyes and winced at the pain although he didn't make a sound. The elf noticed this. Maybe now was his turn to attract the orc's attention.

"I thought you were going to cut my fingers!" he shouted. "What kind of a torturer are you? You are quite a coward. You can only speak and threaten, but you never act!"

The foul creature looked back at Legolas. Aragorn stared at him incredulously. That stubborn elf… No, he would never have it his way.

"Do you call this a kick?" the man challenged. "It didn't even hurt. Even a baby would torture better. Try again."

And the orc did. The next kick sent bright spots in front of his eyes and he had to struggle to stay conscious. Legolas stared in disbelief. This crazy human was trying to get himself killed again.

"I am still whole, Master Torturer," he called mockingly. "I think you promised me to show me your talent."

Challenges were flying at him from both directions. The orc was looking from one to the other, completely confused. He had no idea what he was going to bring to himself by trying to torture them together. "I don't know what the two of you are trying to do, but if you were trying to get yourselves a slower death, you certainly did it." He commented darkly and held Legolas' hand. "Say a last goodbye to your thumb!"

Suddenly the orc stumbled backwards as the earth shook. Pieces of rock were falling from the ceiling.

Mordor was falling apart.

The orc gave his prisoners a last look and ran out of the room, locking the door behind him.

The two friends watched in horror as the room was collapsing. They were chained to the wall and could not escape. Pieces of the ceiling kept falling. The air filled with dust and it was hard to breathe.

Legolas quickly moved to the right to escape from a huge rock that was going to fall over him. It grazed painfully his wounded shoulder and he gave a soft moan.

And then the floor collapsed.

The wall was still standing and Aragorn and Legolas were hanging on their chained arms. Below them was a bottomless dark pit. The dungeons of Mordor were going many levels below the ground and there were still a lot of floors to go. Their wrists hurt having to support all their weight.

Suddenly, the wall to which Aragorn's chains were attached, fell. With a soft cry of surprise, the ranger fell into the darkness.

"Aragorn!" the elf cried in panic and stared down. He didn't have much time to worry about his friend, however, as his own chains gave in and he fell that he was rapidly accelerating downwards.

Legolas felt his head spin around. His entire life flashed before his eyes. He was expecting to die in seconds.

A strong hand caught his arm. He grasped it and looked up. One of Aragorn's chains was stuck in between two wooden timbers. The man's other arm was free now, although the heavy chain was still handing from it, and he had used it to catch the elf.

"Mellon-nîn, I can't believe we are still alive," the elf whispered with great relief, still unable to comprehend what had just happened.

"We won't be soon," the man answered grimly. "That wood won't last long."

Hearing this, the elf surprisingly released the ranger's arm and Aragorn glanced down, afraid that his friend had passed out again.

But the elf was looking at him.

"Legolas?" the man was confused.

"That chain can't hold both of us. Let me fall."

Aragorn's grip on his friend's arm only tightened. "Stubborn elf! You didn't leave me, how can you even think I could leave you now?"

The wood gave a soft cracking sound.

"There is no way we can both survive this! Please, my friend, let me go!"

Aragorn smiled grimly. He had heard these words before. Now he regretted that he had asked Legolas to leave him so many times. He realized just how cruel the request had been. But the elf was right, there was no way they could both survive this. There was actually no way either of them could survive. No, he had no right to give up now. He had no right to lose hope.

Aragorn carefully examined the wall above them.

"Legolas, do you see the wood where my chain is stuck?"

"Yes?"

"It's on the edge of a floor that is still standing. You can climb there and pull me up."

The elf sighed. "Thank you for overestimating my abilities, mellon-nîn, but there is no way I could climb up a bare wall, especially with those chains hanging from me."

"You won't climb up the bare wall. You'll climb on me, and them you'll hold to my chain and get up to the floor."

Legolas shook his head. That human and his totally insane ideas. "There is no way I'm climbing on _you_. You don't have a single spot on your body that is not injured. If we are going to die, I won't make it more painful to you then it already is."

"Legolas, climb on me." It was not a request, and it was not a suggestion. It was an order and left no room for arguing. Legolas looked surprised at his friend. The familiar voice was filled with authority he had never heard before. Maybe Aragorn was right. Maybe he had at last accepted who he really was.

The ranger noticed his friend's surprise and smiled reassuringly, "Come on, Legolas! I won't break."

The elf hesitantly lifted his free hand and grabbed the man's arm. He put his other arm on Aragorn's shoulder and pulled himself up, sensing the man tense at his touch. He leveled with the man and gazed into the pain-filled silver-gray eyes.

"I'm so sorry, mellon-nîn."

"Stop apologizing and climb! Fast!" the man hissed.

Legolas nodded and grabbed the chain with his both hands.

"It will break loose. If I try to pull myself, it won't hold the weight."

"Then step on my shoulders first, and you'll reach the floor."

The elf stared at his friend's shoulders. He knew they had sustained quite a lot of injuries.

"Oh, Estel…"

Aragorn closed his eyes. "Just do it. And, please, be quick."

Legolas looked up, his blue eyes starting to fill with tears. The wood cracked again. There was not a moment to spare. He took a deep breath and shook his head to clear his thoughts. Legolas quickly stepped on the ranger's shoulders, grabbed the wooden support and jumped to the floor.

At the same time Aragorn's chain broke free of the wood.

Legolas turned with a cry of panic and dropped to the ground, stretching his arm in the dark pit. But it was too late. The human was already too far to reach.

Aragorn felt his chain break free. He was falling. He tried to catch Legolas' arm, stretched desperately towards him, but he couldn't reach it. Then he noticed the long chain hanging from his friend's arm. He grabbed it with a quick move.

Legolas winced in pain at the new weight his wrist was forced to bear, but then smiled with relief. He had completely forgotten than the chain stretched farther than his arm.

The elf quickly pulled Aragorn up. "Never, ever do that again," he whispered. The man didn't find strength even to answer and just fell into his friend's arms. They stayed on the floor for a minute, completely exhausted from the ordeal.

"Please tell me, Aragorn, could you ever get close to anything that even slightly resembles a cliff and not fall?" the elf was quite amused in spite of the gravity of the situation.

"Well, this is definitely _not_ a cliff," the man protested. "Besides, this time _you_ also fell."

"You fell first," the elf pointed out although he knew that there was no point in arguing with humans, especially with this one.

The floor shook again. "We must go," Aragorn said. "The whole building will collapse soon."

They started climbing up the stairs, jumping over the holes and zigzagging to avoid the falling rocks. Finally, they reached a balcony. They were slightly above the ground.

Aragorn went out to the balcony and froze in dismay. "We cannot go out," he muttered.

Legolas came next to him and looked down. The ground was moving. It looked strange, somewhat unnatural, even … fluid.

Lava.

They were trapped. There was nothing to do, except stand and wait for the building to collapse.

"So this is truly the end," the elf said sadly, despair turning his voice into a mere whisper. He turned to the ranger, blue eyes locking with the gray. "Are you afraid?"

"Yes," the man admitted. "But not that much when you are here." Aragorn was surprised by his own words. Until that moment he couldn't bear the though that the elf was going to die with him, and now his presence seemed to calm him. He had changed in the course of the last few hours. He was afraid that he would fail, that he would prove unworthy of his destiny. But now he had fulfilled his destiny. He had fully accepted his role right before the end. It was because of him that Frodo could reach Mount Doom. He was not a mere human anymore. His life was not worthless. He had seen Middle-earth free of the evil, had completed his own quest in this world and was ready to leave it. He looked back at the blue eyes, watching him intently, and new that this change was not lost on his friend. "Hannon le, Legolas."

Aragorn's gaze wandered in the skies, where he noticed a Great Eagle, flying gracefully.

"Look!" he pointed the noble bird to his friend. It was good to see some beauty before the end.

The elf smiled slightly as his sharp sight distinguished two small being's in the bird's talons. "Frodo is safe," he whispered. Then Legolas noticed another Great Eagle. But this bird wasn't carrying anybody. The elf's eyes sought the bird's and their gazes met. And Legolas knew.

The Eagle was coming for them.

The first thing Aragorn saw when he woke up was Gandalf's happy face. His wrists were bandaged, and the chains were removed. For a moment he looked around confusedly until memory came back to him.

"Frodo?" he asked weakly.

"He is alive. He will be alright soon." Gandalf couldn't help the wide smile that spread across his face. "He did it."

Besides his bed Gimli was almost leaping with joy.

Elrohir affectionately stroked his hair. "I missed you so much, little brother."

"Estel, that was the worst idea you've ever had. Never do that again." Elladan warned.

Aragorn smiled at his elven brothers and gave Elladan's arm a tight squeeze. "I won't, I promise. I didn't enjoy it myself." He looked around the room and noticed that Legolas was missing. The last thing he remembered before passing out were eagle talons around his injured back. He didn't know what had happened to his friend and a wave a fear passed through his heart.

"The prince is here," Gandalf answered the unspoken question he saw on Aragorn's face. "He just went to see Frodo. He'll probably be back soon."

In a couple of minutes Legolas entered the tent. His arm, leg, head, and wrists were bandaged.

"The Elf is back," Gimli murmured grumpily. Legolas just tousled playfully the dwarf's hair, much to Gimli's displeasure. When he noticed that Aragorn was awake, the prince smiled warmly and limped towards the bed.

"How are you, mellon-nîn?"

"I suppose I'll live … thanks to you. What's wrong with Gimli?"

Legolas laughed, "He is just mad at me for not taking him with us into Mordor."

Aragorn suppressed his smile. Sometimes this dwarf didn't know what to wish for. "Well, I understand him. It's a pity you couldn't come, Gimli," he teased. "It was an amazing experience."

"I knew it," the dwarf muttered unhappily. "Blasted Elf."

"Thank you very much for the support, traitor," Legolas glared at the human. "Sometimes I wish to know whose side you are on. Honestly, Aragorn, you often make me wonder which is worse – Dwarves or Men," he jested softly, gently brushing away a stray lock of black hair from his friend's face.

"That's an interesting question, mellon-nîn. At least we all agree that Elves are the worst of all," he winked at Gimli, who burst in laughter.

"Oh, is this so, Estel?" Elladan raised an eyebrow, looking amused. "Maybe I should talk to my sister about your attitude towards our race."

Aragorn smiled apologetically, "Well, at least you must admit that Elves never have plans."

"Maybe it is so," Legolas agreed, "But you must admit that Men's plans never work."

The two friends smiled at each other, and Gimli guessed that this was some sort of an inside joke, probably referring to something that happened in Mordor. _I knew I have missed all the fun. Stupid Elf…_

Gandalf was listening, his heart overwhelmed with joy. The Quest has succeeded. In the beginning no one knew what the outcome would be. They all feared that they were not strong enough or wise enough to get to the end. But it turned out that neither strength, nor wisdom was what brought the mission to success. It was something simpler, and yet much more powerful. Friendship. The way Sam supported Frodo all the way to the end, the way Legolas ventured into Mordor to save Aragorn, the way Pippin saved him from the orc, this was what actually led to success. Friendship. Courage. Loyalty. Love. Sacrifice. These were all unfamiliar to the Dark Lord, he would never understand them, and, therefore, could never fight them. Sauron was more powerful than any of them, he was wiser, be he did not know what love is, and that was his flaw.

The wizard smiled as an image of the future appeared in his mind. Aragorn would be a good king and everything would change. He could see the beginning of something new and beautiful. Middle-earth was coming to a new age. The time of Men has come.

THE END

_It's over :( I never though writing fanfic would be as much fun as reading… probably even more._

_Many thanks to all who read the story, especially to Arodiel, and to the only three readers who posted reviews on all three of the previous chapters: fair rider, Calenlass Greenleaf, and A Whisper In the Wind, HANNON LE!!!_

_And special thanks to my little sister (haha, bebo, ne ochakvashe da te zaburkam, nali? Mersi za knijki! Machkot :D)_

_Sorry for completely butchering the book, I tried to keep the main ideas the same, just present them in a different way. I hope you enjoyed it._

_See you in another story!_

_And, as usual, reviews are highly appreciated ;)_

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